Alvaro Alberto exhibition @ Rio Astronomy Museum

Multimedia and interactive exhibition design

The exhibition “Álvaro Alberto: The Man Who Knew Too Much”, at the Museum of Astronomy and Related Sciences in Rio (MAST), shows the vision of one of the main Brazilian scientists, who masterfully moved through international politics and built the foundations of innovation, education and scientific research in the country.

The exhibition, designed by SuperUber and curated by Marcello Dantas, works on three axes: History and Biography, Nuclear Energy and Scientific Legacy. In the first, a timeline narrates the history of science in the country connected to the life trajectory of Álvaro Alberto, in a room that reproduces his office. The public sees projected, on a 1930s table, animations of his drawings and poetry.

The futuristic room presents the development of nuclear energy in the country. Álvaro Alberto was the main enthusiast of the area in Brazil. News and drawings show how the promise of nuclear energy evolved, with its social applications and innovation. Displays of objects with lenses connect with science fiction stories, which are also represented on a screen with movie posters. In the center of the room, a model of the nucleus of the uranium atom in an infinite mirror.

The third axis focuses on the vision of the future and the legacy of the scientific network created by Álvaro Alberto. 70 years ago, he was the founder of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNPq) and a network that, until today, guides science, technology and innovation policies in Brazil. In the immersive elevator, the public travels through the disciplines of institutions that Álvaro Alberto created: Physics (CBPF), Mathematics (IMPA), Sustainability (INPA), Information (IBICT) and Nuclear Energy (CNEN). In the end, we show the scientist’s connection with innovation in Brazil’s Navy, and take the visitor’s imagination to the interior of the “Álvaro Alberto nuclear submarine ”.